Author's Note: There will be a whole series of pieces here about teaching Ryan, maybe even a sister series about teaching Seth - we'll see!
Teaching Ryan Atwood… …About Sushi
"No like this…like this…here." Seth sighed as he reached across the table and grabbed Ryan's hand in his.
Ryan watched as Seth molded his fingers around the chopsticks. Middle finger extended, thumb straight up, index finger does all the work.
Seth released his hold and the chopsticks promptly fell to the table.
"You're not trying!"
"I am!" Ryan whispered, grabbing the sticks and stuffing them back between his fingers. "My hand just doesn't move like that."
"Don't be ridiculous. Everyone's hand moves like that. Watch."
Ryan took a deep breath and watched as Seth showed off the position of his hand. "It's simple, see?"
"You look like you're making obscene shadow puppets."
"Oh! Shadow puppets…cool." Seth dropped his chopsticks and raised his hands up in the air. "Can you do the moose?"
He wiggled his hands in front of the wall. The shadow looked like a clump of bony fingers.
"You just…hook your pinky…" Seth stopped and looked up suddenly. "Oh hey, food."
Ryan watched the waitress deposit their food on the table. He eyed the platter of raw fish and rice warily.
"Come on, grab a piece."
Seth had picked up his chopsticks again and was deftly moving a section of something called Red Dragon to his plate. He poured soy sauce in a tiny dish and then dabbed a dollop of green paste into the liquid.
Ryan hesitantly picked up his chopsticks and forced them between his fingers. He eyed the selection of food before him. The Red Dragon had actual raw salmon spread on top of it. There were little rolls of the salmon with rice and seaweed that Seth had called Salmon Maki. Then there were rice-covered California Rolls that didn't look to contain anything raw.
He reached for the safest choice.
"Mmm, sooo good. I can't believe you've never had sushi before, it's a staple at Mom's parties. I've been using chopsticks since I was in diapers."
Ryan tried to ignore Seth's babbling and pinch the sticky-rice concoction between the awkward sticks. It took three tries and two rearrangements of the chopsticks, but he finally managed to snag a piece and pull it back to his plate. Setting it down, he watched as Seth dipped another piece of the pink fish in his sauce.
"Male sure you add wasabi," Seth instructed through a full mouth.
Ryan looked at the platter. Wasabi. Wasabi. "The snot?"
Seth coughed as Ryan asked his question. "Dude! Don't call it snot! Shit!"
Reaching over across the food, Seth poured a little soy sauce in Ryan's dish and then stirred in a tiny amount of the green goo.
"You can add more on the piece if you want to, but don't use too much. Hot."
Ryan blushed as Seth prepared his meal for him. He felt like he was 6 and his mother had to cut up his wieners for him.
He repositioned the chopsticks and attacked the California Roll again.
This time he lifted the piece successfully on the first try. He watched as Seth dipped a piece in the sauce, then moved his over to the smaller dish. The piece dropped from his chopsticks and splashed soy sauce all over the table.
"Two points!" Seth said jubilantly and reached for another piece of Salmon Maki. "You better hurry bro, this ain't gonna last long."
Ryan grunted as he pinched the chopsticks tight within his fingers and tried to spear the vile piece of food. The wooden sticks chafed against his skin and the sushi only sloshed around in the dish.
"Face it man." Seth stuffed his mouth with another piece of roll. "You gotta learn how to use them right. You'd friggin' starve in Japan."
Ryan shot Seth his harshest glare, earning absolutely no reaction from the other boy. Frustrated, he turned his glare on the food before him. The roll was just sitting in the sauce, mocking him. He grunted his anger at the whole experience and reached out quickly to grab the piece between his thumb and forefinger.
"No fair! That's cheating!"
Ryan popped the sushi into his mouth and smiled as he chewed hungrily. Who needed chopsticks when you had good old fingers?
"Okay, okay, I'll give you one piece." Seth relented as he placed his own chopsticks down on the table. "Do you at least like it?"
Ryan realized he hadn't taken time to actually taste the food and slowed his chewing. It wasn't half bad. The soy sauce was salty and there was a tinge of fire swirling across his tongue. The combination of that with the sticky rice was actually okay.
"Yeah, yeah it's good."
Ryan reached out for another piece when Seth slapped the back of his hand.
"Nuh-uh. Eat one piece with the chopsticks then you can have another with your fingers."
Ryan kept his hand poised over the food. "You gonna play Mom suddenly?"
Seth nodded. "That's how Mom got me to learn. You'd be surprised how easy chopsticks get when you're absolutely starving."
Ryan glared at the other boy again, this time making Seth shrink back a little in his seat.
"Or you could just eat it all with your hands," Seth mumbled, obviously disappointed.
Ryan sighed. Going out for sushi had been the topic of conversation for two days. Once Seth discovered that Ryan had never been, it had become the most important task to plan just the perfect inaugural event.
Now they were here and he was ruining it by cheating.
He reached for the stupid chopsticks again.
"One piece with, one without," he muttered.
Seth smiled and picked up his chopsticks again. "Deal!"
Ryan pursed his lips and stared at the food before him. He could do this. It was just two sticks and a ball-like shape, right? He'd played sports all his life. Sticks and balls were easy.
He pinched the piece securely on the second try and carried it directly to the sauce.
Success.
"Try some wasabi," Seth suggested.
"The sno…green stuff?"
"Yes, the green stuff. It's good."
Ryan pinched a healthy dose of wasabi between his chopsticks and dropped it on top of his food.
"Careful, hot remember?"
"Yeah, yeah. You be careful, Trey used to sneak Tabasco in my eggs all the time. This is nothing."
"Ooo-kay…" Seth said warily, resting his latest piece on his plate as he watched Ryan.
The green paste stuck to the chopsticks and Ryan struggled to release it onto the roll. Finally he just left a dollop on the tip of the sticks and pinched the sushi roughly. The whole contraption disappeared into his mouth and he chewed smugly.
"This ain't so bad…"
Seth leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. He watched as Ryan's mouth exploded.
"Ugh, oh!" Ryan let his mouth hang open uselessly. The wasabi burned up his tongue, his eyes watering and nose running. He grabbed after his water glass, pouring half of it down his throat before he attempted to swallow.
"What? Why?" Ryan sputtered as he struggled to chew the last bits of fire-tinged food. It tasted delicious and burned like hell. He'd finally figured out the appeal of sushi.
Seth raised his hands in defense. "Hey man, I warned you. Not my fault you're all Mr. I can stand the heat."
He looked at Seth with tears still in his eyes, swiping at the wetness. "You knew that was gonna happen."
Seth couldn't hide his smile. "I didn't man, honest." He laughed as he reached for another piece.
Ryan slapped his hand away quickly, grabbing the platter closer to him. "No way. You made me eat this stuff, I'm having half."
He picked up a piece of Salmon Maki between his thumb and finger. It looked safe enough, but you never knew where Seth's food choices were involved.
"Anything I need to know about this? It doesn't have tentacles?"
"No, no man. Salmon's safe, it's cool."
Ryan tentatively dipped a piece in the sauce and slipped it in his mouth. It was chewy, a little cold, but good. Maybe even better than the California Roll. He picked up another piece.
"Hey! You said one with, one without."
"No…" Ryan ate the second piece with his hands. "You said one with, one without. I say hands were around before chopsticks."
"Hmph." Seth slumped in his seat. "That's cheating."
"And delicious." Ryan tried a piece of Red Dragon.
"You really like it?"
Ryan nodded with his mouth full.
"Cool man, that's cool." Seth reached out to take another piece.
Ryan pulled it further out of his reach. "Order more, I'm starving."
Seth chuckled and waved his hand for the waitress. "Can we get another Red Dragon and…maybe a Spiny Tuna Roll?"
She nodded politely and started to back away.
"Oh hey," Seth said quickly. "You like soup?"
Ryan shrugged.
"Two Miso Soup," he added before she moved back to the kitchen. "Miso Soup, good."
"Yeah? What is it?"
Seth hesitated as he watched Ryan fish a piece of salmon out of his sauce.
"It's…this…soup. Tastes like fish."
Ryan nodded, satisfied that he had fought the war with sushi and won. He'd eaten a dragon today…how bad could a bowl of soup be?
The waitress returned almost immediately and placed a bowl of soup in front of each of them. Ryan nodded politely, then looked at the bowl. Bits of seaweed floated on the surface and the liquid was a murky grey color. He glared at Seth.
"What? Try it."
He shook his head and looked around for a spoon.
There was none.
"Seth!"